From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
One of the injured victims of the gas cylinder explosion that killed four persons on the spot last week at Trinity Gas Plant, Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has been reported dead.
This brings the death toll to five, while others are still recuperating in various hospitals.
The Director of the plant, Mr. Uzo Nwanya disclosed this at the weekend to executive members of Nigeria Association of Liquified Gas Petroleum Marketers (NALGPM), led by its president, Nosa Ogieva-Osunbor during a condolence visit. He said among the five deceased persons, three were staff of the plant, while the other two were their customers.
Nwanya who had fire burnt on his head and hands noted that his own youngest brother, Somtochukwu Nwanya, a trained gas filler was equally among the deceased who died on the spot while refilling the cylinder that exploded. The explosion occurred when a 5kg cylinder which was being refilled burst open and ignited fire on other cylinders, both empty and filled ones.
Nwanya, who said the management of the plant was yet to quantify the extent of loss, the explosion damaged walls, roofs, scales, cylinders and louvres in offices. He also told the visitors that he succeeded in closing the tap which prevented the flame from entering the big tanker.
Responding, Ogieva-Osunbor commiserated with the company as member of the association, describing the incident as sad and tragic.
Flanked by other executive members, John Yakubu, public relations officer; Godwin Ude, financial secretary; Bassey Essien, executive secretary and Muomdubem Muomandu, Ogieva-Osunbor lamented that it was quite unbelievable that a 5kg cylinder could wreak such a havoc. The association urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to carry out investigations to ascertain the remote causes of the incident.